Explore the Family Name Abel
The meaning of Abel
1. English, German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, French, Spanish, and Polish; Slovak (mainly Ábel) and Czech (also Ábel): from the Biblical personal name Abel, Slovak Ábel, which was used in continental Europe from the sixth century. After the Norman Conquest it was introduced to England and Scotland, where it had a brief currency in the 12th and 13th centuries before being revived in England after the Reformation. In the Book of Genesis Abel is a son of Adam, murdered by his brother Cain (Genesis 4:1–8). In Christian tradition he is regarded as a representative of suffering innocence. The Hebrew form of the name is Hebel (Latinized as Abel), from a vocabulary word meaning ‘breath’. 2. German: from the personal name Abel, a pet form of Albrecht.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Abel in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Abel held a popularity rank of 1,809 in 2000 and shifted to 1,958 by 2010, indicating a decrease in popularity of around 8.24 percent. The actual count of individuals with this surname slightly increased from 18,243 in 2000 to 18,464 in 2010, marking a minor growth of 1.21 percent. However, the proportion per 100,000 decreased by about 7.4 percent during this decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,809 | #1,958 | -8.24% |
| Count | 18,243 | 18,464 | 1.21% |
| Proportion per 100k | 6.76 | 6.26 | -7.4% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Abel
Delving into ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census indicates noticeable changes between 2000 and 2010 for the surname Abel. The percentage identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander saw a significant increase of 39.39 percent, rising from 0.66 percent in 2000 to 0.92 percent in 2010. Strikingly, those identifying under two or more races also experienced an increase of 19.18 percent during this period. While the majority still identified as White (88.24 percent in 2010), this figure has seen a slight decline of 2.15 percent since 2000. Other noteworthy changes include a rise in Hispanic identification by 23.60 percent and Black identification by 17.70 percent. American Indian and Alaskan Native remained relatively steady, increasing by a mere 4.82 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 90.18% | 88.24% | -2.15% |
| Black | 4.18% | 4.92% | 17.7% |
| Hispanic | 2.67% | 3.3% | 23.6% |
| Two or More Races | 1.46% | 1.74% | 19.18% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.66% | 0.92% | 39.39% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.83% | 0.87% | 4.82% |
Abel ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Abel is British & Irish, which comprises 40.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (31.2%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (6.4%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 40.6% |
| French & German | 31.2% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 6.4% |
| Other | 21.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Abel
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Abel have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 76.70% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 76.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 76.50% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 75.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 75.90% |
What Abel haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Abel is R-Z326, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z326 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-U152 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Keller, Meier, Weber, Meyer, Mueller, Schmidt, Bauer, Schafer, Schneider, Kramer.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Abel surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Abel have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Abel" Surname 47.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Abel" Surname 22.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Abel" Surname 19.7%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Abel" Surname 22.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Abel?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Abel are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition